Trump says Musk will help uncover 'hundreds of billions' in U.S. govt fraud

President Trump taps Elon Musk to root out government fraud, sparking controversy and cost-cutting efforts across federal agencies.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in remarks aired Sunday (February 9, 2025) that Elon Musk, who is presiding over a purge of government jobs, will help find "hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud" in federal agencies.

Speaking in a Fox News interview aired before the Super Bowl football championship, Mr. Trump said the American people "want me to find" waste and that Mr. Musk, the world's richest man and the leader of the president's cost-cutting efforts, has been "a great help" in rooting out unnecessary spending.

"We're going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse. And, you know, the people elected me on that," Mr. Trump told Fox News Channel's Bret Baier.

During his three weeks in office the President has unleashed a flurry of executive orders aimed at slashing federal spending. He has appointed SpaceX and Tesla boss Mr. Musk to lead his federal cost-cutting efforts under the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The administration has highlighted several government projects Mr. Trump believes should be ended or curtailed, but evidence of any widespread illegal activity or fraud has not been presented.

Mr. Musk has already taken unprecedented steps to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), laying off thousands of employees.

On Friday (February 7, 2025), a federal judge ordered a temporary pause to the administration's plan to put 2,200 USAID workers on paid leave.